Clare’s Tasty Tapas

I am still in a summer sun kind of mood, so today I bring to you my Tasty Tapas

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These are super as a main meal any evening, ideal for lunchtime leftovers and you will impress many a dinner guest if you were to sever mini ones of these as canapés.

Today we will give you the Black pudding, Potato & Prawn Bruschetta Tapas recipes, come back next week for the Tomato Bruschetta, Mushroom Bruschetta and Mango Salad.

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Makes: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:  55 minutes

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Ingredients

Black Pudding:

• 280g Black Pudding
• 2tbs of tomato relish
• 8 slices of Dry cure Streaky rashers

Potato & Chorizo 

• 200g Baby sliced potato
• 1 med onion
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 1tbs olive oil
• 100g Chorizo sausage

Prawn Bruschetta

• 8 ,1cm thick slices of French stick
• 2tbs olive oil
• 150g of Prawns
• Large handful of fresh chopped coriander
• 1 finely chopped red chilli
• 1 grated clove of garlic
• 1/2tsp cracked black pepper

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PREPARATION

Potato: 1/ Place the potatoes into a pan of water, bring to the boil and cook until tender, drain and set to one side, While these cook place the sliced onions in a large frying pan with the olive oil, cook for 2-3 minutes, add the wine and reduce until this has almost disappeared, you really just want 1-2 tbs of wine left in the pan, add the sliced Chorizo, cook for 1-2 minutes, add the cooked potato and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Then serve.

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Black Pudding: 2/ Slice the black pudding, butter the relish onto the flat sides of the pudding, cut each rasher into 3 and wrap around the pudding and relish, place on a lined baking sheet and place in a moderate oven for 10-12 minutes. turning once.

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Prawn: 3/ Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden and crunchy. Place the prawns, chilli, garlic and coriander in a pan, (if using fresh prawns cook until they turn pink, if using already cooked prawns, then you are just warming them through) try not to over cook. Place the Prawn’s onto the bread, finish with cracked black pepper and serve.

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 ❤ Clare with the Hair ❤ 

The Top 5 DIY Beauty Treatments

Some of my top DIY treatments that anyone could try at home, Here are 5 seriously simple at home DIY Beauty Treatments that anyone can do 🙂

Need a relaxing bath , then mix 1/4 of a cup of Rosewater, 1/4 of a cup of Coconut milk, pour into your warm bath, swirl and lay into it and relax, it a such a treat for the skin and is incredible relaxing and smells pretty dam good to boot!! Try it!!!

Legend has it that the beautiful Egyptian queen Cleopatra who loved to emerge herself in milk and rose petal baths and insisted to have her bed covered with fresh roses every day, had carpeted her boudoir with petals of these flowers (to which she attributed aphrodisiac powers) when she first greeted and seduced Marc Antony.

Well known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, rose water is excellent for cleansing, purifying, softening and toning the skin. Its pleasant fragrance makes it a nice, light and fresh cologne to wear especially in the summertime.

2/ Need a great, yet very affordable Skin Moisturiser, then you need to mix 2 teaspoons of Honey with 2 teaspoons of Almond Oil. Apply , to make this a moisture packed mask then add . mashed up half an  avocado and mix in all the ingredients to form a pure, Apply to face, Leave on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with warm water and pat dry. This will improve skin complexion, retain glow, moisturize better and deeper, soothe skin irritation, nourish your skin while making it softer and smoother.Almond oil is rich in vitamin A, B and E, which are great for skin health. In fact, most skin care products have these vitamins loaded in them. The oil helps maintaining moisture levels of the skin and gets absorbed in a jiffy without blocking the pores. Mash the avocado and mix in all the ingredients to form a puree.

3/ Important day? date? interview? or any other big day!! and skin is looking a little rough? then you need a quick, easy, DIY Facial Scrub!! Mix 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil with 1 tablespoon of Raw Sugar, mix to a rough paste , apply to clean skin using your finger tips, be gentle, this is more about quality of ingredients on your skin and technique, not brute force 🙂 apply with tips of your fingers in a light circular motion, do this for 2-3 minutes and rinse with warm water and pat dry.Your face will look bright, clean, and be glowing.

4/ Our poor feet get a battering in all the fabulous Shoe Shoes we wear but sometimes we need to treat our feet back!! it is only fair, I guess. So here we have the ultimate in simple yet effective Foot Pedicure‘s for you. Mix 1/4 of a cup of Almond Oil with 3 tablespoons of dried power milk. this will form a paste. Apply all over your feet, cover in cling film and socks, sit back for as long as you have or over night and wash off in the shower to reveal soft and supple looking feet 🙂

5/ My all time favorite DIY at home treatment is this Body Scrub, anyone who know me, know’s I obsess over super soft skin, It is a must for me and this is one of the treatments I use to keep it this soft!! Place the brown sugar and honey in a small bowl and mix together well. Store in a jar with an air tight lid if you want to make up more and have on the bathroom shelves. Apply a small amount of scrub to wet skin and massage gently in a circular motion. Rinse well.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

3 Minute In Shower Tanning Lotion

Delighted to see this super tan, the St.Tropez 3 Minute In Shower Tanning Lotion, on offer in Boots : http://www.boots.ie/en/St-Tropez-Gradual-Tan-In-Shower-Lotion-200ml_1690813/ Just 3 minutes is all you need as part of your daily shower regime for this luxurious lotion to provide you with a gradual sunkissed glow.

100% Streak-free and super easy to apply, it’s ideal for first time tanners or people who just can’t seem to master the traditional tanning lotions, pre and post holiday top-ups, or those looking for a low maintenance all year round glow. The more you apply the deeper this tan goes.

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Packed full of Sweet Almond Oil  to hydrate the skin for up to 24 hours, so there’s no need to moisturise afterwards, making it perfect for busy lifestyles.

Simply apply daily to build your depth of tan to suit you. One coat gives you a lovely light golden glow. Three coats and you look like you have actually been on holidays 🙂

How to Use

Step 1: Fully cleanse and wash in a warm shower.

Step 2: With the shower off, generously apply the product in circular motions with your hands to wet skin to create an even coverage. Wash palms after application.

Step 3: Wait 3 minutes.

Step 4: Fully rinse off with warm water only.

Step 5: Gently dry yourself, before getting dressed. After showering, the self-tan actives will naturally start to work, developing gradually and deepening with regular reapplication within the shower.

I am loving this tan, tell me have you tried it? what do you think of this? or is there one you might recommend as being even better?

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❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Aroi Restaurant Limerick Review

If you are planning a trip to Limerick City, then find time to visit Aroi! This review is based on my personal experience in their Aroi’s Limerick restaurant but just to let you know, Aroi are also based in Cork City Center also.

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In Aroi’s words:

“Aroi is associated with the eating experience in Asia. Pronounced (Aroy) means delicious or tasty.

Aroi is a casual dining venue which offers a single course dining experience and service with the minimum of fuss.

Our ethos is to serve market fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Our healthy cuisine avoids the obscure chemicals and additives so common in our food today.

Aroi sources authentic herbs and spices and we do not use M.S.G. in any of our preparation.”

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In my words:

Aroi is one of my favorite places to visit for lunch in Limerick, they serve fresh, tasty, clean food at affordable prices with the bonus of a free ice cream afterwards.

I have tried many items on their menu but my favorites are (in order) the Pad Thai, Char-grilled Duck, Red Thai Curry and the must try for you all, their sticky rice, I love this with the Char-grilled Duck.

All main meals are just €10, which I really love, before you go in, regardless of what takes your fancy on the menu, it is always just €10!

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Aroi also have a large selection of soft drinks, wine, teas and Thai beers.

The ice cream I referred to is actually their homemade Gelato, they have tonnes of flavors, I have tried their Cherry, Lemon & Coconut, and I loved them all, I will have to return “just to try the others” and report back 🙂 

www.clarewiththehair.com (image from Aroi)

I am a big fan of Aroi and I am not alone, this year Aroi won the Best newcomer in Munster from Irish Restaurant association. Well done Aroi, this is a super achievement because as you know, Limerick and Munster is filled with some super places to dine.

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❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

Not so bad for you, Claire’s Banana & Blueberry Muffins.

I am not really a baker or making of many sweet treats but with easy meals being such a hit and many of our readers asking for snack idea’s in the form of sweet treats that are not all that bad for you, we came up with these little beauties 🙂 This as with all area’s of Claire with the hair McCarthy . com will develop over the days and weeks ahead.

A low-fat muffin that tastes better 🙂 than it looks and they will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or you can even freeze for up to a month. This are very easy and almost impossible to get wrong. Lovely sweet treat when you are having serious cravings.

Makes: 12 Muffins

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Time:  30 Minutes

Ingredients 

• 300g self-raising flour, use wholemeal or half and half if you wish
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 50g porridge oats, plus 1 tbsp for topping
• 2 medium bananas, the riper the better
• 284ml carton buttermilk, remember if you can’t get this, use skimmed milk with a dash of lemon juice.
• 5 tbsp melted coconut oil, this adds a fantastic additional flavour
• 2 egg whites
• 150g blueberries, use fresh or frozen.

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Tip the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Hold back 1 tbsp of the sugar, then mix the remainder with the flour and 50g oats. Make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until nearly smooth ( if you have a metal sieve you can press it through this),  Stir the buttermilk, oil and egg whites into the mashed banana until evenly combined.
2. Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir quickly  with a wooden spoon, do not over work this. The mix will look lumpy and may have the odd fleck of flour still visible, but don’t be tempted to over-mix. Tip in the blueberries and give it just one more stir. Divide the mix between the muffin cases ,then sprinkle the tops with the final tbsp of the oats and the rest of the sugar. Bake for 18-20 mins until risen and dark golden. Cool for 5 mins in the tray before lifting out onto a rack to cool completely and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee , delicious 🙂

 

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

D.I.Y Beauty Treatments

1/ I have been posting beauty tips and tricks and some of you have asked me for DIY treatments that anyone could try at home, So here are 5 seriously simple at home DIY Beauty Treatments that anyone can do :-)Need a relaxing bath , then mix 1/4 of a cup of Rosewater, 1/4 of a cup of Coconut milk, pour into your warm bath, swirl and lay into it and relax, it a such a treat for the skin and is incredible relaxing and smells pretty dam good to boot!! Try it!!!

Legend has it that the beautiful Egyptian queen Cleopatra who loved to emerge herself in milk and rose petal baths and insisted to have her bed covered with fresh roses every day, had carpeted her boudoir with petals of these flowers (to which she attributed aphrodisiac powers) when she first greeted and seduced Marc Antony.

Well known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, rose water is excellent for cleansing, purifying, softening and toning the skin. Its pleasant fragrance makes it a nice, light and fresh cologne to wear especially in the summertime.

4/ Our poor feet get a battering in all the fabulous Shoe Shoes we wear but sometimes we need to treat our feet back!! it is only fair, I guess. So here we have the ultimate in simple yet effective Foot Pedicure‘s for you. Mix 1/4 of a cup of Almond Oil with 3 tablespoons of dried power milk. this will form a paste. Apply all over your feet, cover in cling film and socks, sit back for as long as you have or over night and wash off in the shower to reveal soft and supple looking feet 🙂

5/ My all time favorite DIY at home treatment is this Body Scrub, anyone who know me, know’s I obsess over super soft skin, It is a must for me and this is one of the treatments I use to keep it this soft!! Place the brown sugar and honey in a small bowl and mix together well. Store in a jar with an air tight lid if you want to make up more and have on the bathroom shelves. Apply a small amount of scrub to wet skin and massage gently in a circular motion. Rinse well.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

❤ Clare with the Hair ❤

New Review : SeeSee Mineral Facial Pure Mud Mask

So I tested this Mineral Mud Facial Mask a few months ago for TV’3 Xpose show and this was screened on Wednesday evening’s show so now I can share my thought and findings on this product. Here is a clip from the show http://www.tv3.ie/entertainment_video.php?locID=1.803.824&video=84304

I have a combination skin type and suffer from the very occasional break out on my Tzone, but over all I have the skin under control. I found this work very well for my skin type.

From a price point of view this is very keenly priced at just €10.99 with other items in the rage as low as €4.49, SeeSee is available in pharmacy’s nationwide.

The Dead Sea high quality dark Mud Mask is enriched with minerals for deep facial cleansing. This Dead Sea Mud is rich in minerals and highly purifying. It removes dirt, excess oil and any traces of impurities, while gently exfoliating dead skin cells, revealing fresh new skin. I found the first few times I used this that I did get a bit of a break out but once we got beyond this point I found my skin just glowing.The mask will leave your skin smooth, silky looking, healthy and radiant. The Mud Mask softens the skin and contains mud minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium chlorides, bromides and sulphates, together with plant extracts including Jojoba oil, Mentha oil, vitamin E, sweet almond oil and olive oil. The skin is smoother, fresher, brighter and more defined.
The user instructions: Apply a thin layer in circle motions, allow to dry and rinse well with water only. apply your regular moisturizer after your face is completely clean.

Thank you for reading you FABULOUS people

♥Clare With The Hair ♥